Method of knitting stockings



oct. 23, 1934. w. H'Emnz 1,978,306

METHOD OF KNITTING STOCKINGS l Hy. 1.

Oct. 23, 1934. w. HElNl-rz METHOD OF KNITTING STOCKINGS y Filed OCL. ll, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 23, 1.934

UNITED STATES l METHOD oF` PATENT OFFICE KNITTING STOCKINGS Woldemar Heinitz, Chemnitz, Germany, assigner to Schubert & Salzer Maschinenfabrik, Ak-

tiengesellschaft, Chemnitz, Germany Application october 11, 1930, serial' No. 4ss,1s5 In Germany October 17, 1929 1 Claim.

5L parts of the heel and the parts of the foot are knitted at the same time by increasing the`number of loops after finishing the leg, as required by the greater overall width of the heel parts.

It is an object of my invention to so perform my method that it is not necessary to increase the number of needles, that is, the width of the machine.

To this end, while in the oldinethods of this kind the knitting of the heel is started with a heel part which in fact includes the heel and the heel top, the method according to the present invention comprises finishing the leg, starting for the heel with an increased number of loops correspending to the length of the heel, transferring the heel loops excepting the edge loops for one needle without reducing the width, narrowing all heel loops for two needles as far as the beginning of the foot, so that the width is reduced, while the transfer point is moved back for one needle befor each narrowing operation.

The advantage of leliminating theincrease of width required in the old method is obvious: It is no longer necessaryto make wider every operating station, increasing thereby the overall width of the machine for about 6 feet, but my method is performed on machines having the usual width. Thus, I not only avoid expensive alterations of existing machines, but also extensions of Abuildings in which the wider machines referred to could not be placed. This ls a particularly important advantage of my method.

A stocking knitted according to the new method has a narrowing line which is not straight but angular, so that it perfectly fits the vrecent types of ladies shoes. Narrowing is limited to what is indispensable.

In the drawings affixedV to this specification and forming a part thereof diagrams of the new method and a diagrammatic view of stocking knitted in accordance with this method are shown by way of example.

In the drawings:

v Figure 1 isa diagram showing the two parts of a heel; l

Figure 2 is' a diagram illustrating the part shown at the right of Fig. 1, drawn to a larger scale;

' Figure 3 shows the waies and courses -of a portion of this part, drawn to a still larger scale, and Figure `4 is an elevation showing part of the leg and foot4 of a stocking knitted in accordance with my method. l

Referring now to the drawings, the edge loops c, f, i and c', f', i where the finished stocking is sewed, are indicated by small circles, and the narrowing lines b, e, h, and b', e', h' are indicated by crosses. The reference character 1 indicates the transfer points mounted in holders ofa longer breadth, and 2 the transfer points mounted in holders of a shorter breadth. For the sake of clearness, each alternate edge loop is omitted, andthe corresponding transfer point 1 is shown instead. a, d, gis the symmetry line or axis of the stocking. 'I'he wales are indicated by the lines w,`w', w, w3 in Figs. 2 and 3.

In operation the base of the leg is knitted the width I, and then the loops are sunk in the width II or c, a, c'. Beginning with the courses c, b and b', c', two of the transfer points 1 start operating; 'Ihe transfer points are so positioned as not to interfere with the edge loops c, f, i and c', f', i'. It has been assumed that they act on the loops as far as the Wale w' next to the end. A `loop per needle is now transferred by these transfer points whereupon the transfer 'points re` turn into their initial positions. After the sinking, the loop transfer is repeated as described. 'I'he edge' loops remain on their needles, the thread guides move invariably through the same distance, and the loop transfer is effected along the same wale so that these portions of the fabric, rthe areas b, c, f, e and b', c', f', e' are rectangles of the-lengthV III. g 4

In the portion III, more clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the transfer point extends from the Wale w' to the Wale m4, and moves to the left for one needle pitch and the loops are transferred from w1-w4 to :v2-105, the edge loops w remaining on their wale. After each narrowing operation the transfer point returns into its initial position and the narrowing operationis repeated as described so that a narrowing line is formed on the wale wf. At IV the transfer point does not move back for a single needle pitch but for two pitches so that it is now on the Wale ui-w3 where from this position it moves to the left in portion V for two needle pitches but returns for a single needle pitch only. In this first narrowing movement the edge loop w is narrowed to the third Wale 102 and the loop is transferred from w3 to 105. The transfer point returned to w1 and w4 now narrows again to the left of the two wales. By moving back for one'needle pitch at each operation, the narrowing line is pitched forward to the left for one Wale, whileby the narrowing one more needle is rendered inactive at the right. The narrowing line in conformity with the narrowing movement across two wales, progresses for two rows at each operation.

In this manner the narrowing lines e, h; e', h' advance for one needle per course while the edge loops advance for two needles. The width of the narrowed portion is gradually reduced from e, f and e', f to h, i and h', i for the length V.

It makes no diierence for the shape of the heel whether this one-needle loop transfer is affected in each course of loops or only in each second course, butin order to obtain an edge which is particularly suitable for sewing, transferring the loops in each second course is preferable. Nor does it make a diierence whether only the edge loops, or two or more loops at the edge, are not involved in the loop transfer. What is important is that not less than one loop should be conserved at the edge for making a good seam.

In order to obtain the shape required for the foot arc wedge-shaped narrowing is effected with fewer narrowing needles.

Referring now to Figure fi, the position of the several lines in Figures l, 2 and 3 at a nished stocking is indicated with the corresponding denominations from the diagrams. From the line at which the leg is completed, with the width I, the fabric is sunk at both sides with additional widths and the overall width Tl. Only the line Le'a'aeoa b', c is visible in Figure 4, corresponding -to half the width of the fabric. From ai, b, c and a, b', c to d, e, f and d, e', f', the number of wales w remains constant, while by narrowing as described from d, e, f, and d, e', f', to y, h, i, and g, h', i', the inclined lines e, h; f, i and e', h; f', i are formed.

The position of the line g', h', i', lines e', h/ and f', i' is shown in Figure 4. From g, 11 i and g, h', i', Figure l, the foot is knitted in the usual manner by means of the transfer points 2 and fewer needles'for forming the arc of the foot.

At the beginning of the foot part at b, c and b', c' several running-on courses may be knitted in the usual manner, whereupon the heel is sewed along the lines c, f, i and c', f, i'.

lclaim:

The method of manufacturing stockings on a at knitting machine comprising finishing the leg, starting for the heel with an increased number of loops corresponding to the length of the heel, transferring the heel loops excepting the edge loops for one needle without reducing the width, narrowing all heel loops for two needles as far as the beginning of the foot, so that the width is reduced, while the transfer ypoint is moved back for one needle before each narrowing operation.

WOLDEMAR HEINITZ.

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